


Dad

by DonnaNoble10



Category: Broadchurch
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-02
Updated: 2015-06-02
Packaged: 2018-04-02 13:14:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,029
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4061374
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DonnaNoble10/pseuds/DonnaNoble10
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Ellie is injured in an accident, Alec steps up to take care of Tom and Fred. How will he cope?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

It had been a year since Danny died, but to Ellie, it felt like a lifetime had passed. In the 11 months since her husband Joe had confessed and been put behind bars, their divorce had been finalized and she had sole custody of their sons, Tom and Fred. To her surprise, Alec Hardy had been a frequent visitor at their new apartment and wasn't as cold as he was while at work. When he was at their apartment, it was like he was a different man. Gone were the cold eyes that used to send shivers down her spine and the cold exterior he had built up since Sandbrook. In their place were warm, fathering eyes and a friendly, kind exterior. Tom had taught him some skateboarding tricks and Fred was starting to call him "dad". Ellie wasn't sure how to feel about that. On the one hand, Joe was his biological father and had been a good father to him, as far as she knew. On the other hand, Alec was slowly weaving his way into their family and her heart. She knew he was divorced and had a daughter whom he loved very much, but that was about it. About six months after the divorce was finalized, he had come over with a rose in hand and asked her out on a date. Ellie could tell that he was very nervous about asking, and so, partially out of kindness and partially because she could feel herself starting to fall for the tall, skinny Scotsman, she accepted. Tom agreed to babysit Fred that night saying it was high time she moved on from Joe. Their first date had gone as well as anyone could expect and before she knew it, he asked her out again, which brought them to tonight. Alec rang the doorbell, wearing his usual suit and tie ensemble. Ellie was wearing a purple floral dress. Alec had chosen a nice Italian restaurant where it would be quiet enough that they could talk. He took her hand and led her towards the car.

"You look beautiful, Ellie." He said, a hint of a smile on his face.

"Thank you, Alec."

That was another thing that had changed. He had started calling her by her first name instead of her last. Part of her thought that it was because he thought that calling her "Miller" would remind her of Joe. He had been with her the whole way through the divorce proceedings and stood by her when the nightmares came about Joe coming back and doing something to Tom or Fred. More than once he had stayed the night, sitting by her bed and telling her everything was fine until she fell asleep again. By the time she would wake up in the morning, he'd be gone. He had slowly become her rock and held her when life became too much to bear. About two months after Joe was arrested, she decided she couldn't sit around anymore and had to do something. A week later, Alec walked with her back into work, shooting death glares at anyone who dared to look at her wrong. It had taken time, but people finally stopped looking at her with that look of "how could you not have known?"

Now, here she was on a date with the man who had walked with her through the most difficult time of her life. He opened the door to the car and gestured for her to go ahead and sit. She say down and buckled her seatbelt as he walked around to the driver side of the car. When he was buckled in, he started the engine and they pulled away from the house.

"How are you, Alec?"

"I'm fine. My daughter called me last night and told me that she's doing well in school. She's a senior this year and is starting the application process for university. She said she wants to apply to a university near here." 

"That would be wonderful! How long has it been since you last saw her?" 

"Since the divorce, so about 2-3 years."

"That has to be difficult. I'm so sorry, Alec."

"We started video chatting a couple of months ago. I'm still learning the ins and outs of it, but I'm getting the hang of it."

"I'm sure it's great to have a way to see her."

"It is. I didn't know just how much I missed her until I saw her."

Ellie could hear the tears in his voice and regretted bringing up the subject. As he spoke, tears filled his eyes.

"She's beautiful, Ellie. My one regret is that I've missed out on almost three years of her life. She told me that if she's accepted at the local university, she wants to start off in the dorm, but will consider living with me second term. If only she knew how much it would mean to me."

"She does. That's why she's thinking about it. You haven't been part of her life for almost three years. You have a bridge to build. You both have changed in the last few years and need time to get to know each other again."

"I'm willing to do whatever it takes. I just want my daughter back."

"I know, Alec."

By this time, Alec was pulling into the parking lot at the restaurant and had found a parking place. Ellie waited as he shut off the engine and quickly made his way to her door, where he helped her out of the car. Taking her hand in his, he closed the door and locked the car before leading her inside the restaurant.

"Reservation for Hardy, party of two." He told the hostess.

The hostess nodded and checked her clipboard.

"Right this way." She said as she picked up two menus and two sets of silverware.

Alec and Ellie did as told and a minute later were at their table. Ever the gentleman, Alec pulled Ellie's chair out for her and waited for her to sit before scooting the chair closer to the table and sitting himself. They picked up their menus and began to look through it so they could decide what they wanted to order. Their waitress came by and introduced herself as Adalina.

"What would you like to drink?" She asked.

They both ordered wine and requested a minute more to look at the menu. By the time Adalina returned, they were ready.

"I'll have the chicken Alfredo." Alec said.

"I'll have the shrimp scampi." Ellie said.

Adalina took note of their orders, smiled and walked away.

"How are they treating you at work?" Alec asked when Adalina was out of earshot.

"Much better. It's gotten easier to go to work these days knowing they don't blame me."

"How are Mark and Beth?"

"They have their ups and downs. They can't believe it's been almost a year."

Alec nodded and a look Ellie had never seen before crossed his face-a look that told her he still remembered every detail of those weeks of investigating. She knew he was letting her see him at his most vulnerable and she reached across the table and took his hand.

"It's like it happened yesterday, isn't it?" She asked.

After a moment, he took a deep breath and looked at her-sadness filling his brown eyes.

"It is. I still remember seeing his body. Every time I think about it, I," he paused and tears pooled into his eyes. "I think about how it could've been my daughter. I…I have nightmares…"

"Alec…" He sniffled, took a deep breath and dabbed at the tears with his napkin.

"I'm sorry, Ellie. This is hardly the time for…"

"You put up such tough exterior…"

"Part of the job. It's too hard if I get too emotionally involved."

He closed his eyes a second and Ellie watched intently. She hoped he'd remembered to take his medicine before picking her up. When he opened his eyes again, he looked her dead in the eyes.

"I know I wasn't easy to work with. I'm not the best at letting people in."

Adalina approached the table and set down their plates.

"Thank you, Adalina." Alec said, attempting a small smile.

"You're welcome, sir, ma'am." Alec and Ellie dug in, enjoying every bite. 

"How are Tom and Fred?" Alec asked.

"They're good. Adjusting. They wanted to know when you're gonna to come by again."

"Tell them I'll drop by after work tomorrow."

Ellie smiled and ate another piece of shrimp. They spent the rest of the meal enjoying each other's company with bits of small talk in between. Once they had finished and paid their bill, Alec took Ellie's hand and led her out to their car. On the way home, they continued their conversation, filled with laughter. They approached an intersection and were about to enter when out of the corner of his eye, Alec saw a car barreling down the street and heading right for them.

 _Please stop. Brakes. Brakes._ He thought.

"Hang on, Ellie!" He yelled, his tone telling her there was no time to ask questions.

As quickly as she could, Ellie grabbed for a handhold. Alec slammed on his breaks and managed to stop the car about a third of the way into the intersection. The car entered the intersection and hit the front fender of their car. The speed of the other car, however, forced them into a spin. Ellie screamed as Alec once again yelled out for her to hang on as he attempted to get out of the spin. She tried to brace, but her upper half fell forward, causing her to hit her head on the dashboard. A few seconds later, they came mercifully to a stop on the other side if the intersection. Alec looked around, but saw no sign of the other vehicle.

"Ellie, are you all right?" He asked.

There was no response, so Alec looked over to her and saw a bump on her head and blood coming from her nose.

"Ellie? Ellie, talk to me."

His adrenaline began pumping as he looked at the signs to figure out where he was. Once he gathered his bearings, he pulled out his phone and dialed 999.

"999, what is your emergency?" Came the dispatcher's voice.

"This is Detective Inspector Alec Hardy. There's been a hit and run at the intersection of Mountain Road and Gypsum Boulevard. My vehicle was hit and my passenger has been knocked unconscious."

"We're sending help right away, sir. Is your passenger male or female?"

"Female. She's unconscious and has a bump on her head and a bloody nose."

"All right, sir. I've got an ambulance on the way. Stay on the line with me until they come."

Alec did so and within three minutes, he heard sirens in the distance. He hung up with the dispatcher and got out of the car so he could flag down the ambulance. Once the ambulance came to a stop, he led the paramedics to Ellie. They tried to waken her, but she didn't respond. They quickly put a C-collar around her neck and put her in the ambulance. The paramedics agreed that Alec should come with them in the ambulance and they would arrange a tow truck for the car. Alec took a seat by Ellie and held her hand.

"Come on, Ellie. You're going to make it. Tom and Fred need you. I need you."

A moan escaped Ellie's mouth and she slowly opened her eyes.

"Alec?" She whispered.

"Yes, Ellie. I'm right here."

A paramedic began asking Ellie questions about the accident.

"I don't remember anything after Alec telling me to hold on. It's all black." She replied, her voice soft.

Alec gave her hand a gentle squeeze and smiled at her, trying to tell her that it was ok. Ellie's eyes fluttered closed as they pulled into the hospital. Once they came to a stop in front of the doors, they wheeled Ellie into the ER. Alec took a seat in a nearby waiting room and stared out the window. About ten minutes later, a doctor came in.

"How is she?" He asked.

"Still out cold. I want to get a CAT scan of her brain. That'll give me a better idea of what we're dealing with."

"Do whatever you need to do." Alec replied.

The doctor nodded and left the room. Alec took a seat on a couch in the corner of the room and sighed, dreading what he knew he had to do next. He took out his phone and punched a few buttons. A few rings later, a teenage boy's voice answered.

"Hello?" 

"Tom? It's Alec."

"Alec? What's wrong?"

"Your mom and I were…we were in a car accident. We're ok, but your mom hit her head, so we're getting her checked out at the hospital."

"What? Is she ok?"

"The doctor says she's asleep right now, but she looks good. They just want to run a few tests to make sure there's nothing internal."

"You'll let me know any updates, right?"

"Of course. You keep an eye on Fred and I'll let you know what the doctor says, ok?"

"Ok. Give her a hug for me."

"I will. I promise."

He hung up and put his phone back in his pocket. All he could do now was wait.


	2. Chapter 2

Half an hour later, the doctor returned to see Alec sitting on the couch, staring out the window. She walked over and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Mr. Hardy?" she asked.

Startled, he turned quickly to face the doctor.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you. I just wanted to let you know that we just finished reading the CAT scan results."

"And?" he asked, clearly desperate for any bit of news.

"It shows that there is a bit of swelling around the brain. We want to relieve pressure around the brain so that, should there be more swelling, it has more room. It'll require a surgery and she might go into a coma."

Alec nodded, tears beginning to pool in his eyes.

"Does she have any next of kin we could notify?"

"Yes, two sons, ages twelve and three. I'll tell them, though. Thank you."

"I'm sorry it wasn't the news you were expecting, but we just want to make sure she's getting the best care possible. We want her to heal and be able to do everything she did before." The doctor said.

Alec nodded again and opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. He tried again.

"Thank you, doctor."

"You're welcome, Mr. Hardy. I'll give you an update as soon as we know anything more."

Once the doctor left, Alec couldn't hold it in anymore. He sat back down, put his head in his hands and cried.

"I'm sorry, Ellie. This is my fault. If I…if I'd been able to stop sooner…" he said between tears.

His mind went back to just an hour before and he tried to make sense of it. The more he thought about it, the more he tried to figure out what he could've done differently and the more he realized he had done the best he could. As much as it felt like it to him, the accident wasn't his fault. Ellie was getting the best of care and now he had to be strong for her. The faces of Tom and Fred filled his brain.

"I gotta find a way to get them here. They need to see her."

Filled with a new purpose, he got up and went to the receptionist's desk to ask where he could get a taxi.

"I'll call one for you."

A few minutes later, a taxi pulled up in front of the hospital. Alec told the taxi driver Ellie's address and buckled his seat belt. As the taxi driver drove, he tried to strike up a conversation with Alec, but Alec wasn't really in the mood for a conversation. All he wanted was to pick up Tom and Fred so they could see Ellie. The fifteen-minute drive seemed to take forever, but the taxi finally pulled up in front of the house.

"Wait here. I'll be right out." Alec said.

He knocked on the door and waited for Tom to open it.

"Who is it?" came Tom's voice.

"It's Alec. Open the door, please, Tom."

The door opened and there stood twelve-year-old Tom Miller. Three-year-old Fred stood at the foot of the stairs.

"Come on, boys. We need to get you two to the hospital."

"Has something happened?"

"Yes. I'll tell you when we get there. For now, we just need to get to the hospital. Let's get Fred's car seat from your mom's car."

Tom nodded and took Fred's hand. Once both he and Fred were outside, Alec took Fred's hand while Tom locked the door. The three of them walked hand-in-hand to Ellie's car where Tom pulled out the car seat. Then Tom got into the taxi and installed the car seat into the middle seat before helping Fred into it. After the three of them had buckled up, Alec turned to face the driver.

"Back to the hospital, please." Alec said.

The taxi driver nodded and pulled out of the driveway and onto the street. Alec debated whether or not to tell them now what was happening, but decided against it because he felt it a personal matter. They'd be at the hospital soon enough, anyway. He could tell them then and still manage to give them some privacy. The ride back felt quicker than the ride to Ellie's home and before Alec knew it, they were pulling into the ER entrance. Alec paid the driver while Tom helped Fred out of the car seat and then uninstalled the car seat. Once that was done, Alec led Tom and Fred into the hospital. Their first stop was the waiting room Alec had been in.

"Boys, I need to tell you something. This is very serious. Your mom is in surgery right now because her brain is swelling. They told me she could be in a coma when she gets out of surgery. I didn't want to tell you before because I felt you deserved the privacy of me telling you when it's just the three of us."

"Is mommy going to be ok?" Fred asked.

"Yes, Freddy, she will be. She's just going to sleep for awhile so she can get better."

"What happened?"

"We were driving home when a car hit my car in the middle of the intersection. Your mommy hit her head on the dashboard and fell asleep. An ambulance came and brought your mommy and me here so they could take care of us. I waited here and the doctor told me they wanted to take a picture of your mom's brain. That's how they found out about the swelling. I promise you both that she is getting the best of care here."

"Will we get to see her soon?" Tom asked.

"I'm not sure. We'll know more when the doctor comes back to talk to us."

"Who's going to take care of us while she's in the hospital?"

"I will. I'll move into the guest room and take care of you both."

"Thanks, Alec."

Alec hugged both boys and the three of them sat down on the couch.

"I promise everything's going to be all right."

About an hour later, the doctor came back.

"These must be Ms. Miller's sons. Hi, I'm Doctor Anderson and I'm taking care of your mom."

"I'm Tom, and this is my brother Fred."

"Nice to meet you both. Let me start by saying your mom's surgery was successful. She's in a medically-induced coma right now while her brain heals. We don't want her to wake up too soon and not be fully healed. We're transferring her to a room right now, so if you don't mind waiting here just a few more minutes, I'll send a nurse down to take you to her when she's settled in."

"Thank you, Doctor Anderson." Alec replied, shaking the doctor's hand.

Once the doctor left, Alec turned to the boys and knelt down so he was eye-level with Fred, who looked about to cry.

"Your mommy's just fine, now, Fred. She just has to sleep a bit so she can get better."

Fred nodded, trying to hold back the tears opened his arms for a hug. Alec obliged and took the boy into his arms and lifted him off the ground. All of a sudden, his phone began to vibrate in his pocket. He set Fred back down and Tom immediately took his brother's hand.

"Thanks, Tom." Alec said as he took his phone out of his pocket. "DI Alec Hardy."

"Dad?"

"Daisy? Hi, sweetheart! How are you?"

"I'm ok. Is everything ok? You sound sad."

"Everything's fine. Is everything ok with you?"

"Yeah. Mom said I could come down for the weekend if you had room for me, so I wanted to ask if that was ok."

"That sounds perfect, sweetheart. When will you be coming down?"

"We have a three-day weekend this weekend, so I'll come down Friday after my last class and stay until Monday afternoon. Is that ok?"

"It's more than ok. I can't wait to see you, darlin'."

"Can't wait to see you, dad. I love you."

"I love you, too, darlin'. I'm looking forward to your visit."

"I'll talk to you later."

"See you soon."

Alec hung up the phone and returned it to his pocket just as the door opened and a nurse in a green hospital uniform entered the room.

"Mr. Hardy, I'm here to take you three to Ms. Miller's room. Follow me, please."

The three of them followed the nurse down the hallway until they came to an elevator. They took the elevator to the third floor and turned left and walked down a hallway until they came to room 331. Ellie's name was already in the space to the right of the door as they entered. Ellie lay still with oxygen prongs in her nose, an IV in her right arm and a heart monitor on her right index finger. Her head was wrapped in a bandage due to the surgery. Three small chairs were in front of the window directly in front of Alec and the boys.

"I'll leave you three here. Visiting hours have ended, but you can have a few minutes." The nurse said.

"Thank you." Alec replied, crossing over to the chairs.

The nurse left the room as Alec pulled one of the chairs over to Ellie's left-hand side where they could hold her hand.

"Ellie, I brought Tom and Fred over to see you. They wanted to say hello."

He nodded to the boys and Tom came over and took a seat as Alec walked behind the chair to where Tom was standing before.

"Hi, mom. It's me, Tom. I don't know if you can hear me, but I want to tell you I love you and want you to get better quickly."

He kissed Ellie on the cheek and nodded to Fred, tears in his eyes. Alec walked with Fred over to the bed and Alec helped him up onto the chair so he could see her.

"Hi, mommy. I love you."

He wanted to give Ellie a kiss, too, so Alec held him over Ellie's head so that he could kiss Ellie's cheek.

"All right, boys. Let's let mom rest now," Alec said. "We'll come back tomorrow."

Tom nodded and quietly made his way over to the door while Alec carried Fred since he was getting tired. It was 9:00 at night now, so Alec knew he had to get them home and put into bed before too long. He would call a rental car company in the morning and arrange for a friend to drive him to the rental place. In the meantime, he knew a friend who would give them a ride now, so he shifted Fred to where he could hold him with one arm and pulled out his phone. He punched a few numbers and waited as it rang. A few rings later, a male voice answered the phone.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Paul, it's DI Hardy. I'm over at the hospital right now with Tom and Fred. Ellie and I were in an accident and Ellie's been admitted. Tom, Fred and I need a ride to my house since my car is there. Could you pick us up?"

"Of course. I'll be there in ten minutes."

"Thanks. We'll be at the ER entrance."

Alec hung up the phone and led Tom into the waiting room and told him Paul Coates was on his way over to take them to his house since his car had been towed there and he needed to get a few things. He lived in a townhouse just a couple minutes away from Ellie's house, so there wouldn't be much difficulty getting the boys from his house to her house. Eight minutes passed and Alec decided to lead them out front so they could wait for Paul. Exactly ten minutes after Alec's phone call, Paul's car pulled up in front of them. Paul helped them install Fred's car seat in the back where he could sit by Tom and Alec would take the front passenger seat. About twelve minutes later, Paul pulled into the driveway of Alec's townhouse.

"Thanks again for the ride, Paul."

"Not a problem, Alec. I'll stop by and visit Ellie tomorrow."

"I'm sure she'd like that."

Once they had transferred Fred's car seat from Paul's car into the house, Paul drove back to his house. Alec quickly grabbed a few toiletries and some changes of clothes and put them in a suitcase. He looked at his car and determined it was safe to drive the two minutes to Ellie's house if he drove slowly, so he put his suitcase in the trunk. He quickly installed Fred's car seat into the back seat and buckled the now sleeping Fred into it. Tom decided he would take the front passenger seat. A few minutes later, they pulled into Ellie's driveway. Tom carried Fred upstairs to his bedroom while Alec carried in the car seat and suitcase. He left the car seat in the front hallway and carried the suitcase upstairs to the guest room. Once that was done, he walked to the next room, where Tom had just put Fred to bed.

"Go ahead and brush your teeth and get ready for bed. I'll call a rental car company in the morning so we have a way to get to the hospital. Good night, Tom."

"Good night, Alec. Thanks for taking us to see mom."

"You're welcome. I'll see you in the morning."

"See you."

Alec returned to the guest room and changed into his nightclothes before lying down in bed. Never before had he had such a hard time falling asleep.


	3. Chapter 3

Alec tossed and turned through the night. He couldn't stop thinking about the boys and the accident. He thought about one time he had gone to the local church and Paul had talked about prayer.

"God wants us to feel like we can talk to him. He's always there, just a prayer away. It's like talking to a friend."

_Maybe I'll give it a try. It can't hurt._ Alec thought.

_God, I know I've never prayed before, but Ellie needs your help. Paul says you know everything, so you know we were in a car accident and you know that Ellie's in a coma. Please don't let her die. Her boys need her. Heck, I need her. I never could have gotten through that murder investigation a year ago without her. I have to ask, why her? Why our car? I don't understand, God. Help me help the boys through this. They've already lost their dad. They don't deserve to lose their mom, too. They're good boys, God. Anyways, thanks for listening._

By the end of his prayer, tears were streaming down his face. He didn't know if God is real, but it helped to think there was someone out there he could talk to. It was late at night, so it wasn't like he could call anyone. Although he wouldn't admit it then, he felt better after getting his questions off his chest. Slowly sleep began to come over him and he drifted into the darkness of sleep.

The next morning, Alec awoke and checked on the boys. Tom was sound asleep, but Fred was starting to wake.

"Morning, Freddy." He said, smiling.

Fred rubbed his eyes and stretched.

"You all right, Fred?" Alec asked.

"I want mommy." Fred replied.

"I know, buddy, but mommy needs to sleep. When Tom wakes up and has breakfast, we'll go see her. Would you like that?"

"Yeah."

"Good. Are you hungry?"

"Yeah. Can I have cereal?"

"Sure. Let's get dressed and we'll get some cereal."

He helped Fred pick out an outfit and get dressed and then got dressed himself. Then they walked downstairs and into the kitchen. Alec had visited often enough, he semi-knew his way around Ellie's kitchen. The cereal Fred wanted was in the pantry, so Alec got that first and then found the bowl and spoon. He poured the cereal into the bowl and poured milk on it.

"Here you go, Fred."

He grabbed a paper towel and tucked into Fred's shirt and then places the bowl in front of the boy.

"Do you think I should wake Tom now?" He asked.

Fred smiled and nodded as he took his first bite of the cereal.

"Wait here. I'll be right back."

Alec ascended the stairs to the first landing.

"Tom! Breakfast!"

He didn't want to leave Fred alone for too long, so he descended the stairs back into the kitchen and sat at the table with Fred. A couple minutes later, just as he was about to call again, he heard a door open upstairs and Tom's voice descended down the stairs.

"I'll be right there."

Two more minutes later, footsteps descended the stairs and Tom appeared.

"You have your choice of cereal today." Alec said.

Tom nodded and walked to the island in the middle of the kitchen where he poured himself a bowl of cereal and joined Alec and Fred at the table.

"When can we see mom?"

"In a couple hours. Visiting hours don't start until 11. I still have to call the rental car company and see if they can bring me a car."

By now, Alec had finished his cereal and put his bowl and spoon in the sink. He pulled out his phone and googled the number for the nearest car rental business. Once he found one close by, he pressed a few buttons and his phone began dialing.

"Quick Car Rentals."

"Hello. This is DI Alec Hardy. I need a rental car as soon as you can get me one."

"Yes, sir. How long will you need the car for?"

"About a week or two."

"Any particular model you had in mind?"

"5 seats, four door, not a van or truck."

"Ok. Do you have someone who can drive you over? Or do you want us to drop it off."

"If you could drop it off, that would be great. Here's the address."

He told the person on the other end of the line Ellie's address and the person replied that they'd be there in about half an hour.

"Thank you."

Alec hung up and sat back down at the table.

"The car will be here in half an hour. In that time, we need to put your dishes in the dishwasher and brush your teeth. Tom could you help Fred?"

"Sure. We'll meet you down here in about five minutes." Tom replied.

"I'll take care of the dishes." Alec replied.

Tom led Fred upstairs while Alec took care of the dishes. A couple minutes later, he was done and went upstairs to check on the boys.

"How are things in here?" He asked.

"Good. Fred just finished brushing."

"Good boy. Thanks for helping your brother."

Tom nodded as Alec turned to go and get his toothbrush and toothpaste. The guest room had a half bath next to it, so Alec went in there and brushed his teeth. Twenty-five minutes later, there was a knock at the door. Alec opened the door and there stood a man from the rental car company with a key in his hand.

"Here's the key to your car, sir. Thanks for choosing Quick Car Rentals."

Alec took the key, paid for use of the car for a week, thanked the man and closed the door.

"Boys! The rental car is here. Are you ready to go?"

"Yes, sir!" Came Tom's response.

Thirty seconds later, both boys were downstairs and Fred's car seat was getting installed into the rental car. Alec drove them the fifteen minutes to the hospital and took them up to Ellie's room. Ellie's eyes were closed and she was still hooked up to a few machines. Tom immediately took Fred's hand and walked him over to Ellie's bed.

"Morning, mom. Fred and I wanted to say hi, so Alec brought us over. I hope you're doing better today."

Alec took a seat by the window and watched as both boys took turns telling their mom about their evening last night and the morning so far. Alec's heart swelled with pride. He knew she hadn't had it easy over the last six months. Tom had gone through an acting out period typical of most teenager boys and Fred had gotten sick, but through it all, Ellie managed to get through it and still be her normal self-most of the time. Alec knew there had been days that it had gotten to be too much for her. Those were the days he would go over and either help with dinner or take them to the local park. By the time they got back, Ellie would feel better and invite Alec to stay for dinner as thanks.

Once the boys has finished their stories, Alec rose and walked over to Ellie's bed. He took her hand and looked at the monitors. He wished he knew what they were saying. He sighed and looked at Ellie. The strong woman he had helped on numerous occasions needed him to be strong now more than ever, so that's what he would do.

"The boys have been very well behaved. I stayed in the guest room last night. I hope that's all right. Tom helped Fred this morning while I got breakfast ready, which was a huge help. He's so good with him, Ellie. Oh! My daughter called last night. She's going to come down for a visit. Apparently my ex-wife decided she could and she's taking her up on the offer before she changes her mind. She's coming on Friday evening, so I'll move the boys into my house for the weekend. I've got a couple of air mattresses that we can put in the living room. I'm so excited, Ellie. For the first time in three years, I'll get to see her in person. Not over a computer screen."

Suddenly, one of the machines started to beep and a few seconds later, a nurse came running in. Alec got out of the way and crossed over to where the boys were sitting, clearly scared and unsure of what was going on.

"Your mom's going to be all right. They just have to check something, all right? Let's go down to the cafeteria and get a snack."

The truth was, Alec wasn't sure what was going on, either, but he knew Ellie could sense the boys' fear, so he wanted to keep them calm. He also knew that the nurses were trained in this and there was nothing they could do, so he wanted to distract them from what was going on. He took both boys by the hand and led them out of the room. Once they arrived at the cafeteria, he showed them where the snack food was.

"One snack each. Go ahead." He told them, giving a nod at the end.

Tom and Fred picked their snacks and returned to Alec. They walked over to the cash register, paid for their snacks and took a seat at a nearby table.

"Do you really think mom's gonna be ok?" Tom asked.

"Yes, I do, Tom. The doctors and nurses here are the best of the best."

Tom nodded, accepting the answer, but knowing Alec didn't want to talk about it.

"So your daughter's coming for the weekend? That's exciting."

"Yeah, it is. She has a three-day weekend, so she wants to come visit."

"Are you going to tell her about the accident?"

"Maybe not right away, but the day after she arrives, I will. I don't want her to worry her first night."

As if on cue, his phone rang. It was Daisy.

"Hi, sweetheart."

"Hi, dad. What's up?"

"Nothing much. A friend of mine asked me to look after her sons for the weekend, but you're still welcome to come."

"Are you sure? I don't want to…"

"No need to worry, darlin'. I've got it all worked out."

"Ok. If you're sure."

"I'm sure."

"Ok. What are you up to?"

"The boys and I are eating snacks."

Suddenly a hospital announcement came over the intercom.

"Dad, are…are you at the hospital?"

Alec sighed. Oh how he wished he didn't have to do this.

"Yes, I am."

"What? Why are you there?"

He could hear her jumping up from a chair in surprise at his response.

"My friend and I were in a car accident last night."

"Are you ok?"

"Yeah. I got away with a few cuts and bruises. My friend wasn't as lucky. She's in a coma. That's why I'm looking after her boys."

"Why didn't you tell me when I called last night? I knew something was bothering you, but I didn't know what it was."

"I didn't want you to worry."

"I appreciate that, dad, but next time, tell me. I'm not a little kid. I can handle it. Were you even going to tell me?"

"I was going to wait until I saw you in person. I know you're not a kid anymore, darlin', but you're still my daughter. I know you well enough to know that if I'd told you, you'd be worrying too much to enjoy your weekend. Am I right?"

"You're right."

He could hear the defeat in her voice and wished it hadn't come to this. This wasn't how he'd wanted the conversation to go.

"I'm sorry, Daisy. I didn't mean to hurt you."

"I know. I love you, dad."

"Love you, too. Always."

They talked a few more minutes about happier things before Daisy said his ex-wife had come home and she had to go. As he hung up, he began to wonder. What had caused the change in his ex-wife? The last time they'd seen each other was in divorce court and she'd made her feelings very clear then. She didn't want Daisy to have contact with him.

"She's my daughter, too, Tess. She needs a father." He'd yelled after she told him she didn't want him contacting her or Daisy.

"She has Dave now."

"You mean the guy you cheated on me with? That man is no more her father than I am Father Christmas."

She sighed and put her head in her hands. This was as hard on her as it was on him. No matter how much animosity there was between them, they both cared about their daughter. After what felt like an eternity, she looked up at him.

"All right. I guess you can call her once in awhile."

They eventually decided that he could call once a month. They'd try to set a day and time and stick with it, but eventually, Daisy stopped answering his calls. He could only imagine what Tess was telling her about him. For about a year, there was little to no communication between them. It was only after they'd put Joe behind bars that she called him wanting to set up a time to Skype with him. She apologized for not taking his calls or calling him back and explained that his ex-wife had remarried and school had been more hectic than usual. The first time they Skyped, he had to fight to keep the tears away. Finally he could see his daughter's face. He now had an updated picture of her in his wallet and carried it with him everywhere.

He was snapped out of his thoughts by Tom's voice.

"Everything ok, Alec?" He asked.

"Yeah, Tom. Daisy just wanted to make sure I'm ok. That's all."

"Can we see mommy now?" Fred asked.

"Sure. Let's go."


	4. Chapter 4

Alec led the way to the elevator and pushed the button for the third floor.

_What happened up there? Is Ellie ok? What will happen to the boys if anything happens to her?_

Before he knew it, the elevator doors opened and he led the boys down the hallway to Ellie's room. A nurse was waiting for them inside.

"Tom? Fred? Why don't you go talk to your mom? I'll be back in a minute." Alec said, motioning slightly with his head to tell the nurse they'd talk out in the hallway.

"All right, Alec." Tom replied, taking Fred by the hand.

The nurse and Alec stepped outside and the nurse closed the door so the boys couldn't hear their conversation.

"I'm Cynthia, one of the nurses to respond to Ms. Miller's alarm. We noticed her oxygen level was lower than normal and that's what caused the alarm to go off. We upped the oxygen flow and she's stable. We're just keeping an eye on her for now and making sure she's doing all right."

"And you're sure she's all right now?" Alec asked.

"Yes, sir. We're just keeping an eye on her as a precaution. She's resting now."

"Any idea what caused it?"

"We're not sure at the moment. That's part of why we're keeping an eye on her condition."

"I see. Well, thank you for your time. I'm going to let the boys know what's going on."

"All right. I'll be at the nurse's station if you have any other questions."

"Thank you."

They parted ways and Alec walked back into the room.

"Boys, come here a minute, please."

Tom and Fred came over and Alec tried to explain what happened as best he could.

"Your mother's oxygen level went a little lower than they'd like. They raised the amount of oxygen going into her through the machines and she seems to be stable for now. That means she's going to be ok. They just want to keep an eye on her and make sure it doesn't happen again."

Once he knew they understood, he let them talk with Ellie for a while until it was time for them to go. They had to get the boys' things ready to go over to his house.

"All right, boys. It's time to go. We're coming to my house for a while, so we need to gather your things from your house. We'll come back tomorrow." Alec promised.

They walked back to the elevator and drove back to Ellie's house.

"You'll need some changes of clothes, your night clothes and your toothbrush and toothpaste. I'll help Fred while you gather your things, Tom."

As quickly as they could, they gathered the things they would need and packed them in three bags. Alec drove them over to his house and helped them set up the air mattresses in his room. Daisy would be arriving in two days and he wanted to make sure the boys were settled before he set up the guest room.

"You boys doing all right?"

"Yeah." Tom replied.

"Let me know if you need anything. I'll be just down the hall for a bit."

He stopped at the door to the guest room and turned on the light. Upon inspection, decided the bedspread might not be to Daisy's liking, but they could fix that when she arrived and they could shop around. However, there was dust all over the vanity, so he went down to the laundry room, where he kept his cleaning supplies, and grabbed the cleaning wipes, Windex and paper towels. Once he returned to the guest room, he cleaned up the vanity and the bedside table. He didn't want his daughter staying in a messy, dusty room. Once the room was to his satisfaction, he went back to his room to check on the boys.

"Anyone hungry?"

Both boys nodded, so he led them downstairs and he got started on dinner. As he cooked, he could sense their anxiety over what had happened to their mom today.

"Your mom's going to be all right. The nurse said this happens once in a while. They're doing everything they can to make sure she's all right and will let us know if there's any change."

"Promise?" Tom asked.

"I promise."

"Cross your heart?" Fred asked.

Alec allowed himself a little crack of a smile. Fred could always break through his tough exterior with questions like that.

"Cross my heart, Freddy. She's going to be just fine. Now, who wants to help me with dinner?"

Tom volunteered and Fred sat at the table watching. Within twenty minutes, dinner was ready and they were all happily eating. Once all the dishes were in the dishwasher, he took the boys upstairs.

"Time to get a shower, brush your teeth and get ready for bed."

He helped Fred get his bath while Tom got ready for bed in the guest bathroom.

"All right, Freddy, it's time for bed."

"Ok, daddy."

Alec never knew how to respond when Fred called him 'daddy'. On the one hand, he wasn't Fred's dad. Joe was. On the other hand, he was around their family often enough that he was like a father figure to Fred and Tom. He couldn't help smiling when he said it, though. It had been too long since he'd been called "daddy". His little girl wasn't a little girl anymore and they hadn't talked in a long time. Before now, that is. It was nice knowing someone thought of him in that way. It was also nice being needed in that way. Being a father figure to the boys had given him a reason to leave the tough police officer part of him at work.

Once he knew Fred was tucked in bed, he went to make sure Tom was ok.

"Time for bed, Tom."

"Ok, Alec. I'll be there in a minute."

"All right." Alec replied.

He returned to his room to get ready for bed. By the time he was ready for bed, Tom had already come in and gotten in bed. Fred was out like a light.

"Good night, boys. I'll see you in the morning." He said as he turned out the light and climbed into bed.

In the middle of the night, Alec heard Fred crying. He scrambled out of bed and knelt down next to him.

"It's all right, Fred. It's just a bad dream. I'm here." He said as he scooped Fred into his arms.

"Fred? You ok?" Tom asked sleepily.

"He's all right, Tom. Go on back to sleep."

"Ok."

Alec took Fred over to a chair and sat him in his lap. Rocking back and forth until he fell asleep again. Once he was certain that Fred was sound asleep again, he carried him back to bed and tucked him in. Sleep took longer coming to him this time, as he wanted to make sure he was awake if the boys needed him. Eventually, he had no choice but to surrender to the fatigue and fell asleep.

The next morning, Alec awoke before the boys. A glance at the clock told him they would wake soon, so he went to see what he could make for breakfast. He found some pancake mix and maple syrup, so he grabbed a measuring cup and a skillet. After pouring the right amount of pancake mix, he turned the burner under the skillet onto medium heat and began cooking. After cooking a few pancakes, he decided it was time to check on the boys.

"Time to wake up, boys. Let's get ready to see your mom."

Fred was the first one to respond, so Alec helped him get dressed and cut up his pancakes. Once Fred was happily eating his pancakes, he went to go check on Tom.

"Tom? Come on, Tom. It's time to wake up."

"Five more minutes."

"No, now, Tom. I have pancakes ready and yours are getting cold."

"Then you go eat them. I wanna sleep."

Taken aback by Tom's outburst, Alec was momentarily speechless.

"I won't let you talk to me that way, Tom. You don't get away with talking to your mother like that and you're not getting away with talking to me like that. Now get up and get ready for the day."

"Fine."

"Thank you. I'll go check on Fred and warm up your pancakes."

He waited a few seconds to make sure Tom really would get out of bed before going downstairs.

"All done, Freddy?"

"Yeah!"

"Let me help you put your plate away and wash your hands."

Tom came downstairs, dragging his feet every step of the way.

"Here you go, Tom. Two pancakes."

"Thanks, Alec."

"Finish quickly. Visiting hours start soon."

"Yes, sir."

Alec helped Fred wash up while Tom finished his breakfast. Once Tom was finished and had washed up, they made their way out to the car. Immediately upon parking, they took the elevator up to the third floor and over to Ellie's room. Tom crossed over to Ellie's bed.

"You gave us quite a scare yesterday, mom. Don't do that again."

To their surprise, Ellie's index finger lifted a little. It was like she was trying to raise her hand, but couldn't quite yet. Alec didn't want to alert the nurses until he knew for sure that his eyes weren't playing tricks on him.

"Ellie? Ellie, if you can hear me, try to lift your hand."

"You gave us quite a scare yesterday, mom. Don't do that again."  
\--------------------------------------  
Tom's voice seemed to echo-almost as if she were in a well or underwater.

_I'm sorry, Tom. I didn't mean to scare you._

She tried to open her eyes so she could see her sons and assure them that everything would be all right, but she couldn't.

_What's going on? Why can't I open my eyes?_

Tom must not have been able to hear her because he didn't reply. Why couldn't he hear her? Where was she?

"Elle?"

_Alec? Where am I?_

"Ellie, if you can hear me, try to raise your hand."

_I can hear you Alec. I'm trying. Why can't I see you anything?_

Ellie concentrated on trying to raise her hand. The last thing she remembered was being in the car with Alec. They'd had a nice dinner together and were on their way home.

_Come on, hand. Lift up just a little. Come on._

It must've worked because the next thing she heard was Alec's voice.

"Good, Ellie. Tom, stay with Fred. I'll be right back."

_Where are you going? Where am I?_

She could feel panic rising up in her and she tried to fight through it.

_Now isn't the time. I have to figure out where I am. I have to make sure Tom and Fred are all right._

The next voice she heard wasn't one she recognized.

"Looks like she's coming out of it. Keep talking to her."

"Mom, it's Tom. You gotta wake up now."

_Tom. I'm trying, Tom. Where are we? Where's Fred?_

"Mommy, wake up."

_Freddy, there you are. Mommy's ok._

She tried to focus on her sons' voices and wake up. It took all of her energy, but after a few minutes of trying, she started to see colors. A few blinks later, she started to make out shapes that gradually came into focus. Tom's blonde hair was the first thing she saw followed by Alec's face. She cast her eyes down a bit and was able to see Fred standing in front of Tom.

"Tom. Fred. Alec." She whispered.

"Mom!"

"Mommy!"

"My boys."

"Ms. Miller, I'm Dr. Anderson. You're in the hospital. Do you remember what happened?"

"I was…in a car…with Alec. We…we were on a date. We were going home."

"Yes. Do you remember anything else?"

"No. Just…just being in the car."

It was clear that Ellie was frustrated that she couldn't remember.

"It's all right, El." Alec said. "Do you want me to tell you what happened?"

"Please."

"We were…we were in a car accident. A car hit your side of my car and you went unconscious. I called 999 and they brought you here in an ambulance. I've been taking care of Tom and Fred the past couple of days"

"How…how long?"

"2 days."

"That's enough questions for now. Ms. Miller, we're going to run some tests in a bit to see how you're doing. I'll be back in a few minutes to get you for a CAT scan."

As soon as Dr. Anderson left, Alec turned to the boys.

"Let's move those chairs over here." He said.

Within a minute, they were all seated in their chairs by Ellie's bed.

As promised, Dr. Anderson came back in and wheeled Ellie out of the room.

"Why do they need another scan?" Tom asked.

"To see how her brain is healing. Once they see how her brain is doing, then they can determine what the next step is."

Tom nodded and Fred moved over to sit in Alec's lap. Now, all they could to do was wait for Ellie to come back.


End file.
